Question for landlords: lodgers and cleaning

elsien

Things like making a coffee the night before and taking it to work with you is a little bit of an overreaction to being asked to wash a cup and put it away after you’ve used it. Again, it’s the work of a moment.
I don’t think the landlord is being particularly reasonable, but there does seem to be an element of you cutting  off your nose to spite your face as well.

Although that view is probably biased by being someone who wouldn’t set foot out of doors without having a hot cuppa first. 

prettyandfluffy

I don't have a lodger and have never been one, but reading this thread makes me think that the Landlord actually wants an invisible lodger or preferably the income without the lodger.  A clean coffee mug left on the drainer is not the end of the world, surely - and I'm a bit of a tidy freak. People have to live! 

propertyrental

Your landlord is never going to be happy.

And nor are you.

You need to find a LL who is a bit more like-minded as you.

Move.

Emily_Joy

BobT36 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

You are renting a room in someone else's home. Imo, you should not be expected to 'deep clean' their home, or the rooms you share; all of these rooms are the homeowners, and they should arrange to keep them clean.

Your sole room is your bedroom - that room is your responsibility. If you do have sole use of any other room, then - yes - you should also keep it clean.

Of course, any specific mess you make, you clean it up. From what you say - the long working hours, the lack of cooking you do in that kitchen, being away at weekends, etc - would suggest to me absolutely minimal additional 'dirt' from you. So, the dirt that actually requires this 'deep-cleaning' will be occurring regardless of your presence. So, they 'deep-clean' just the way they always have, before they had lodgers.

And do take your shoes off next time - don't give them an excuse!

This. Take off your shoes if been outside, why wouldn't you, !!!!!!? Imagine coming downstairs and seeing mud bits everywhere because your lodger has tromped through the house with their shoes on because they couldn't be bothered..

Otherwise, clean your room / areas you rent, and pick up after yourself / clean any mess YOU have made elsewhere. They shouldn't expect more than that if it's a. Not in the contract, and b. You're not around to make any mess (besides the aforementioned). 

You keep mentioning all these little bits (hair and the rest) that are a "hassle". Simply pick up after yourself! Make the situation that they're suffering no negative consequences from your presence, and then there isn't even an argument. Not being bothered is not an excuse. Why should they have to clean up your hair? If you do leave ANY mess than you should indeed be sharing. Otherwise, not your problem. 

Well, in a morning I am more interested in getting to work in time for an important meeting, than about an odd hair in a bathtub. I do wear a shower cup unless I wash the hair, and I do check the hole, so there is not likely to be many. 

I have never left mud marks. If the soles are not dry, I take the shoes off. But there maybe occasional dust/small stones on the soles. 

I started this thread because despite being a lodger for many years in the past I have never been asked to deep clean shared areas. 

Marvel1

elsien said:

I’m not seeing why the landlord losing their job is particularly relevant to your question? 

I'm reading it as the OP is leaving the house at 07:30 and back aroiund 21:00, and the landlord has more time in between while job hunting to hoover and deep clean.

BobT36

Emily_Joy said:

BobT36 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

You are renting a room in someone else's home. Imo, you should not be expected to 'deep clean' their home, or the rooms you share; all of these rooms are the homeowners, and they should arrange to keep them clean.

Your sole room is your bedroom - that room is your responsibility. If you do have sole use of any other room, then - yes - you should also keep it clean.

Of course, any specific mess you make, you clean it up. From what you say - the long working hours, the lack of cooking you do in that kitchen, being away at weekends, etc - would suggest to me absolutely minimal additional 'dirt' from you. So, the dirt that actually requires this 'deep-cleaning' will be occurring regardless of your presence. So, they 'deep-clean' just the way they always have, before they had lodgers.

And do take your shoes off next time - don't give them an excuse!

This. Take off your shoes if been outside, why wouldn't you, !!!!!!? Imagine coming downstairs and seeing mud bits everywhere because your lodger has tromped through the house with their shoes on because they couldn't be bothered..

Otherwise, clean your room / areas you rent, and pick up after yourself / clean any mess YOU have made elsewhere. They shouldn't expect more than that if it's a. Not in the contract, and b. You're not around to make any mess (besides the aforementioned). 

You keep mentioning all these little bits (hair and the rest) that are a "hassle". Simply pick up after yourself! Make the situation that they're suffering no negative consequences from your presence, and then there isn't even an argument. Not being bothered is not an excuse. Why should they have to clean up your hair? If you do leave ANY mess than you should indeed be sharing. Otherwise, not your problem. 

Well, in a morning I am more interested in getting to work in time for an important meeting, than about an odd hair in a bathtub. I do wear a shower cup unless I wash the hair, and I do check the hole, so there is not likely to be many. 

I have never left mud marks. If the soles are not dry, I take the shoes off. But there maybe occasional dust/small stones on the soles. 

I started this thread because despite being a lodger for many years in the past I have never been asked to deep clean shared areas. 

I fully agree that you should not have to deep clean shared areas, especially if you do not really make much use of them. However maybe you won't be asked to, if you clean up after yourself a bit more. 

All these "little" things to you, probably mount up for the homeowner and then become a larger job that lands on their plate, on top of everything else. Take just a few extra seconds to tidy up after yourself and comply with reasonable requests (like washing / drying your cup) and job done. 
Tbh I'd expect to leave my cup on a drainer too to dry after it was washed, but maybe then your cup is sat there all week or something and then there's less room for themselves. One more "little" job for them to pick that up and move it (on top of potentially many others). 

Try just picking up after yourself a little more, and see if the requests for cleaning those areas die down. If they don't, then they are indeed being unreasonable. 

You also being focused on getting out to work on time etc. is not their problem either, they'd just say "get up 5 mins earlier then". They are another random adult that you have a business relationship with, not your mum. 

user1977

Marvel1 said:

elsien said:

I’m not seeing why the landlord losing their job is particularly relevant to your question? 

I'm reading it as the OP is leaving the house at 07:30 and back aroiund 21:00, and the landlord has more time in between while job hunting to hoover and deep clean.

Yes, I could understand it more if the roles were reversed and the OP was lounging around the property dirtying it all day, while the landlord was having to spend much of their limited spare time cleaning up after them...

Emily_Joy

elsien said:

Things like making a coffee the night before and taking it to work with you is a little bit of an overreaction to being asked to wash a cup and put it away after you’ve used it. Again, it’s the work of a moment.
I don’t think the landlord is being particularly reasonable, but there does seem to be an element of you cutting  off your nose to spite your face as well.

Although that view is probably biased by being someone who wouldn’t set foot out of doors without having a hot cuppa first. 

Having read yours comment, as well as BobT36, I think the problem here is that "picking up" is not a part of routine for me, it takes a mental effort to remember. I treat the house as my own - in the sense that I never do anything that could cause a long term issue (e.g. I make sure it is well ventilated) and I somehow assumed this is enough. 
I do understand that those "small things" can potentially mount up for an extra job to do, but is in it a part of being a resident landlord job? 

Jenniefour

Agree with clear up after yourself, leave as you found -  but deep cleaning - no! I am a live in landlady and expect my lodgers to leave kitchen and bathrooms as found, clear up spills etc. and they can expect the same from me. This basic level of cleanliness, or something very close to it, is fairly normal and ordinary with live in landlords and lodgers.  Each person is responsibility for their bit. It looks like this wasn't explained to you before you moved in and wasn't included in the contract/agreement either. A shame because it leads to the kind of situation you're in now, which appears to be a complete mis match between your wants/expectations and those of your landlord. I did smile when I read your question about a cleaner every day and the hint that your landlord might be that person! The everyday cleaners are housekeepers - usually found in the homes of the extremely rich and hotels. 

However, deep cleaning aside, do you think you can start to consider the minute or two here and there to do those little things which might make a huge difference to your landlord as normal responsibilities you take on with goodwill rather than obstacles/nuisances that get in the way of your life? Who knows, if you are willing to engage with this any mention/expectation of deep cleaning might well fall off the page entirely, never to be seen again. Otherwise, you probably need to move on and find different accommodation which matches what you expect/need/want and the trade off for that is you will have to pay more.  You have already ruled out the obvious - hotel/guest house. So have you thought about looking for a studio? Then you can do as much or as little as you want and have a cleaner too if you want. 

ThisIsWeird

Your LL is a bit anal. I think their expectations would be considered unreasonable by the (vast) majority of folk, as evidenced by the replies on here.
But, it's their house, and they set the rules. Your choice is to accept, move out, or compromise.
I presume it's quite hard to find an equivalent alternative? In which case, that could unfortunately limit your options. 

Probably very silly of the LL, as in a purely practical sense, you sound the perfect lodger - you're hardly ever there

Is this a single LL, or a couple? Who knows what's going on in their mind. My first such lodging, maaaany moons ago, was with a recently divorced alcoholic (or at least a heavy drinker), who had to rent out a couple of rooms so he could cover the mortgage. A 'sad' bloke, full of false bon-homie, he took exception to me being on the phone to my, then, girlfriend one eve and thumped me when I said 'no' to ending the call. Pitiful.